1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to devices for supporting game animals in order to better facilitate skinning and dressing the animals. More particularly, the invention relates to a game skinning aid which is characterized by a wire member featuring a leg support having a bend approximately in the middle thereof for attaching the leg support to a tree or other supporting structure and diverging, outwardly and downwardly extending legs which terminate in upturned, pointed contact segments. A head support extends from attachment to the legs downwardly between the contact segments and is characterized by a curve which defines a head support bend. Skinning of the animal is accomplished using the game skinning aid by initially securing the front or rear legs of the animal to the upward extending, pointed contact segments while skinning the upper body and subsequently reversing the carcass and suspending the head from the head support bend and skinning the lower body.
One of the problems realized in the skinning and dressing of small animals such as squirrels, raccoons, rabbits and like animals, is that of supporting and positioning the animal carcass in the proper orientation to achieve efficient skinning and dressing. Since the skinning technique requires the use of a knife while positioning the animal in a proper configuration to facilitate efficient use of the knife, it is very important to use a support of proper design in the skinning operation. It is frequently necessary to hang an animal carcass in an elevated, head-down position and sometimes in an elevated, head-up position, in order to properly skin and dress the carcass. In both cases the carcass should be supported in a secure manner and the support should allow ample working space to facilitate application of considerable force to the carcass in order to remove the skin and complete the dressing operation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various devices for suspending animal carcasses for skinning and dressing game are known in the art. An early invention entitled "Gambrel", is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 828,620, dated Aug. 14, 1906, to D. H. Martin. The Martin "Gambrel" is characterized by a pair of hooks, each of which is attached to elongated scissor means, with a separate, curved connector bar used to adjust the spacial relationship of the hooks with respect to each other. A "Suspension Device for Use in Skinning Small Animals" is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,027,335, dated May 21, 1912, to A. G. Huyerdahl. The Huyerdahl device is characterized by a U-shaped frame, the rear support of which is slidably adjustable to position the parallel, extending ends or fingers closer to or farther away from each other, as desired. The fingers extend from the support member in sets of two and the paired fingers in each set are joined by a thumb screw to facilitate securing the legs of an animal therebetween. U.S. Pat. No. 2,169,928, dated Aug. 15, 1939, to H. Saley, entitled "Gambrel", includes a ring, to which are pivotally attached a pair of rods having hooks secured to opposite ends thereof. A spacer bar is removably positioned between the ends of the rod to facilitate support of an animal carcass from the hooks. A "Small Game Hanging Device" is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,188,130, dated June 8, 1965, to S. P. Pietrowicz. The Pietrowicz device includes a tubular member having a length of cord extending therethrough, with the cord exiting the tubular member at both ends and at the center, in opposite directions. The end of the cord which exits the tubular member in the center is attached to a tree limb or other support, while the legs of the animal are secured in spaced relationship to the two ends of the cord which extend downwardly from opposite ends of the tubular member.
One of the problems which exists in prior art suspension members used for skinning and cleaning or dressing animal carcasses is that of the lack of facility to support both the head and the legs of the animal. This facility is often necessary in order to properly position the carcass to allow more efficient skinning and cleaning of the animal. Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a game skinning aid which is characterized by a shaped wire member having spaced, upwardly extending contact segments for supporting the legs of an animal and a downwardly extending head support for supporting the head of the animal.
Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved, substantially rigid game skinning aid which is shaped from heavy wire and is characterized by a pair of spaced, upwardly extending, pointed contact segments for receiving and supporting the legs of an animal and a curved head support extending downwardly between and beneath the contact segments to support the head of the animal.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved game skinning aid which can be used to skin and dress substantially any small animal and is characterized by a substantially rigid, shaped wire member having a pair of downwardly extending legs which join at the top in an apex bend for supporting the game skinning aid, extend outwardly and downwardly to define a pair of frontal bends and terminate at the bottom in sharp, upward turned, spaced contact segments for supporting the legs of an animal and further including a shaped head support which is welded or otherwise attached to the legs and loops downwardly between and below the contact segments for supporting the head of the animal.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved game skinning aid which is fashioned from two lengths of stainless steel wire to define a substantially rigid frame, which frame includes a leg support shaped to define an apex bend at the top for suspending the game skinning aid from a nail driven into a tree, the first leg support defining a pair of legs which extend downwardly from the apex bend in diverging relationship and terminate in upward standing, forwardly oriented, pointed contact segments for receiving the legs of an animal. The game skinning aid further includes a head support which is characterized by a pair of head support arms extending downwardly from welded attachment to the legs and projecting between the contact segments, the arms terminating at a head support bend which is shaped to support the head of the animal.